NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – INSIDE SLANT
Despite many presumptions that the New England Patriots might be looking to trade down and out of the first round to take advantage of the perceived depth in the 2014 NFL Draft class, coach Bill Belichick stayed put and made a pick for the first time in the last few years.
New England continued its offseason spent addressing the defense by picking Florida defensive tackle Dominque Easley.
“The way the board ended up we felt real good about Dominque being available at 29,” Belichick said to open his press conference at the conclusion of the first round.
Easley is an undersized (6-foot-2, 288-pound) defensive tackle with athletic ability to penetrate in both run and pass defense.
He also tore the ACL in each of his knees over the course of the last three years. He played in just three games last fall for the Gators due to the second ACL tear, one that kept Easley from working out this spring when the Patriots held a workout with various Florida players.
Still, Belichick was clearly impressed with the type of disruptive play that Easley showed when healthy in Gainesville.
“He’s a very disruptive player,” Belichick said. “Very explosive. He’s smart, instinctive and has a great motor. There’s not much to not like about him.”
Belichick also downplayed any concerns he might have about Easley’s current and pass ACL issues.
“When he gets up here we’ll work with him and see where he’s at,” Belichick added. “We feel like he’ll be all right.”
Easley downplayed his ACL to some degree, though he wouldn’t specifically say how close he felt he was to being nearly 100-percent.
“I’m healthy,” Easley said. “I’m just ready to get up there and do whatever Coach (Bill) Belichick needs me to do.”
Easley joins a Patriots defensively tackle depth chart that includes Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork and veteran Tommy Kelly as well as Armond Armstead, Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones and Joe Vellano. Wilfork (Achilles) and Kelly (ACL) are both returning from major injuries that forced the group of younger players to step up last year in the veterans’ absence.
When he’s healthy, Easley will certainly be expected to compete for playing time with the veterans, and he’s certainly looking forward to working with Wilfork as a mentor.
“It’s going to be a great experience, to get to learn from an old guy, a veteran that’s real good,” Easley said of New England’s defensive co-captain. “He’ll teach me some stuff. It’s going to be real exciting to learn from him.”
Taking an optimistic look at New England’s top pick, some believe Easley would have been a top-10 prospect were it not for his ACL issues. Of course the flipside of that sees him as a guy with a history of multiple major knee injuries who’s going to be expected to serve as depth at a position in New England that’s already littered with damaged defensive tackles.
Belichick took a chance on a player he felt was simply too good to pass up.
And Easley expecting to prove his new coach right.
“I was real excited when I saw the Massachusetts number come up on my phone,” Easley said. “I’ve been watching the Patriots for a long time. It’s a winning team so I’m real excited.”
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NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – NOTES, QUOTES
–Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo arrives in New England as the team’s highest draft pick at the position since Drew Bledsoe was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. As a second-round selection, but from a smaller school like Eastern Illinois he’ll clearly be given time to develop in the shadows of Tom Brady.
But, for the first time head coach Bill Belichick acknowledged that the depth chart at quarterback is being formulated with the idea in mind that Brady won’t be manning the starting role forever.
“With the situation we have at quarterback, I think that we felt as an organization that we needed to address that to some degree in the future, so we’ll see how all that works out but I think you’re better off being early than late at that position,” Belichick said after the Garoppolo selection.
Ryan Mallett has been Brady’s backup for the past two seasons, but is heading into the final year of the rookie deal he signed as a third-round pick in 2011. Garoppolo clearly has a chance to vie for the primary backup job within a year and maybe much more than that down the road in Foxborough.
“We know what Ryan’s contract situation is. We know what Tom’s age and contract situation is,” Belichick said. “I don’t think you want to have one quarterback on your team. I don’t think that’s responsible to the entire team or the organization.”
–Garoppolo will now be backing up a guy he’s followed pretty closely from afar. The second-round pick was clearly excited to be joining a depth chart behind Brady.
“He was always the guy I emulated my game after,” Garoppolo said of his favorite player. “It’s crazy being able to go to Boston and learn from Tom, learn from coach Belichick and all the coaches and all the players. It’s a great opportunity for a guy like me, a young player. I still have a lot to learn and I know that and I’m excited about it.”
Garoppolo’s situation in New England has drawn some comparisons to Aaron Rodgers’ time backing up Bret Favre in Green Bay. The young passer is aware of how that worked out for the eager understudy.
“I remember when that happened, (Rodgers) sitting in the draft room and everything – he waited a little while. It’s a very similar scenario and it worked out very well for Aaron, so hopefully it will work out the same way for me,” Garoppolo said.
–A supposed Patriots scouting report for former Heisman Trophy winner and now Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel popped online after the first night of NFL Draft action. The report created some buzz surrounding the star passer. It was actually pretty complimentary of Manziel’s physical skills but was quite critical of his intangible makeup, attitude and family life.
Belichick was asked about the online scouting report and did not deny its authenticity.
“With all due respect, I hate to admit this but I don’t think I’ve been online in a couple days or weeks or whatever, so that’s not really an important thing to me,” Belichick said. “I don’t even know what’s online and what isn’t online. But I would say we probably have, I can’t even imagine, 10,000 pages of information. It’s a lot of information. There’s no way I can sit up here and tell you that I’ve read it all. I’ve read a fraction of it. But we have a ton of information on all the players that are in the draft. What’s online, you should go talk to the geniuses that are online. I don’t know. MyFace, YourFace, InstantFace. Go talk to whoever you want that does that stuff. I don’t know.”
–Quarterback Ryan Mallett was the subject of rumors and reports of a potential trade on the afternoon prior to the first round of the NFL Draft. One report indicated that a deal was quite close to finalization to send the fourth-year backup to the Texans, where he’d be reunited with former Patriots offensive coordinator and now Houston head coach Bill O’Brien.
Belichick was subsequently asked during his day-one draft press conference if he’d had any discussions about trading Mallett.
“Why don’t you talk to whoever wrote the story?” Belichick responded tersely, referencing the original report on CSNNE.com. “Since that person has all the answers, go talk to them.”
Numerous reports have since said that no trade discussions ever took place between the two team and Houston went on to draft quarterback Tom Savage on the third day of the draft.
–Running back James White rushed for more than 4,000 yards in his four seasons at Wisconsin. But it might just be something he didn’t do that played as big a role in him landing with the Patriots in the fourth round of the draft. White fumbled just twice in 754 touches for the Badgers. Belichick, like most coaches, puts a premium on ball security in all his players, especially his running backs.
“It’s very important for any running back. Ball security is job security,” White professed. “If you want to be on a football team, you have to hold on to the football.”
It’s also something that’s been a problem for New England’s top returning running back, Stevan Ridley. The former 1,000-yard rusher has had issues with fumbling in each of his first three seasons, finding himself on the bench and in Belichick’s doghouse because of it on various occasions.
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NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
A closer look at the Patriots’ picks:
Round 1/29 – Dominique Easley, DT, 6-2, 288, Florida
–The Patriots stayed put in the first round for the first time in three years and went after a talented, athletic Gator with a perceived upside and a very real injury history. Easley is a disruptive force when healthy but is coming off a torn ACL that cost him all but three games in his final season at Florida after coming back from a torn ACL in his other knee two years ago.
Round 2/62 – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 6-2, 226, Eastern Illinois
–New England spent plenty of time working out quarterbacks prior to the draft and then targeted the highly productive Garoppolo as the man to likely replace Ryan Mallett as Tom Brady’s backup and, down the road, maybe ascend to a potentially even greater role. Garoppolo has a quick release and good accuracy, but will have to transition from a lower level to the far more complex passing game in New England and the pro defenses he’ll face.
Round 4/105 – Bryan Stork, C, 6-4, 300, Florida State
–Stork won the Rimington Trophy as the top center in the country while helping FSU to a national title in his final season. The All-America will be expected to come in right away and possible compete for playing time at either center or right guard, where he could easily prove an upgrade over returning veterans Ryan Wendell or Dan Connolly.
Round 4/130 – James White, RB, 5-10, 195, Wisconsin
–With both starter Stevan Ridley and third-down back Shane Vereen heading into the final year of their rookie contracts, New England clearly wanted to add depth and developmental talent to the backfield committee. White, who opened and closed his four-year college career with 1,000-yard campaigns, is a guy familiar with sharing the load for the Badgers, and unlike Ridley, his two fumbles in 754 career touches show the kind of ball security that Bill Belichick is fond of.
Round 4/140 – Cameron Fleming, T, 6-6, 318, Stanford
–Despite returning all five starting offensive linemen from last season, New England continued to target the spot in this year’s draft by taking the right tackle out of Stanford. Fleming started all 39 games he played for the school and given that he’s about to receive a degree in aeronautics and astronautics is seen as a heady player who might have the potential to bump to guard at the next level.
Round 6/179 – Jon Halapio, G, 6-3, 323, Florida
–For the third time in its first six picks New England added another offensive lineman with the addition of Halapio, a two-time Gators captain who started 43 of the 51 games he played in Gainesville. A right guard for Florida, he’ll join the Patriots’ offensive line development program that’s now under the direction of first-year line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.
Round 6/198 – Zach Moore, DE, 6-5, 269, Concordia
–Finally addressing a defensive end/pass rush need that many considered a high priority, New England went with a developmental talent from Division II. Moore certainly has an NFL frame and his 33 career sacks are impressive; he’ll be looking to make a major leap in competition.
Round 6/206 – Jemea Thomas, CB, 5-9, 192, Georgia Tech
–Thomas is an undersized tweener with experience at both safety and corner. He’ll probably compete in the nickel in the NFL and on special teams, but as a four-year college starter brings solid experience to the next level.
Round 7/244 – Jeremy Gallon, WR, 5-7, 187, Michigan
–The Patriots’ final selection of the day added another undersized receiver to the team’s receiving corps. Gallon had a highly productive final season for the Wolverines with 89 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns, but his undersized build and average hands make him a question mark at the next level.
PERSONNEL TRACKER
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
–DE Andre Carter returned to the Patriots for a second tour midway through last season and took on a role as a rotational pass rusher in the nine games he played, notching two sacks. The 13-year veteran has said the only team that would keep him from retirement is the Patriots. New England is likely going to look to upgrade at the spot.
–WR Austin Collie bounced on and off the Patriots roster a number of times late in the year, but also was a sure-handed option in a limited role for Tom Brady. His history of concussions and knee problems remains a concern and a guy coming off a six-catch season won’t garner much interest on the market. He’s more an emergency-list option for any team, including the Patriots, at this point.
–T Will Svitek joined the Patriots as a veteran backup last offseason and saw action at both guard and tackle in training camp. He started two games as a fill-in at right tackle during the regular season, but seemed to be rather low on the team’s depth chart of backups as the year wore on. Does seem likely for a return as a guy with plenty of starting experience who may find other options.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: none.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
–LS Danny Aiken: Potential RFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–WR Julian Edelman: UFA; $17M/4 yrs, $8M guaranteed.
–TE Michael Hoomanawanui: Potential UFA; 2 yr, terms unknown.
–C Ryan Wendell: UFA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
–CB Brandon Browner: UFA Seahawks; $15.15M/3 yrs, $1M guaranteed.
–S Patrick Chung: FA Eagles; terms unknown.
–LB Josh Hull: FA Redskins; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–WR Brandon LaFell: UFA Panthers; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
–CB Darrelle Revis: FA Buccaneers; $32M/2 yrs, $10M SB/$12M RB 2015.
–DE Will Smith: FA Saints; terms unknown.
PLAYERS LOST
–RB LeGarrette Blount: UFA Steelers; $3.85M/2 yrs, $950,000 SB.
–LB Dane Fletcher: UFA Buccaneers; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–S Steve Gregory (released).
–TE Matthew Mulligan: UFA Bears; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–NT Isaac Sopoaga (released).
–LB Brandon Spikes: UFA Bills; $3M/1 yr, $900,000 SB.
–CB Aqib Talib: UFA Broncos; $57M/6 yrs, $5M SB/$26M guaranteed.
–S Adrian Wilson (released).
